I'm looking to learn Japanese in japan(Tokyo preferably) what would be the best way to go about doing this?

Question:

Also, I know nobody in japan. I speak a little Japanese, not much. I've been looking at language schools, but they're so expensive, any ideas?

Answer:

My parents leaned Japanese at a language school in Roppongi, Tokyo, run by Franciscan fathers. It was very famous among foreigners living in Tokyo. The church is still there but they closed the school 10-odd years ago.
I guess some churches or missionaries give Japanese classes.

I know a non-profit corporation in Tokyo which give you Japanese classes. The founder was a Christian, but the atmosphere is little religious.
The volunteer staff will teach you Japanese there. It costs only \100 (less than US$1) per class.
http://www.hoshien.or.jp/volunteer/volun…
http://www.hoshien.or.jp/english/index.h…

Sapporo or Fukuoka? Which is safer in terms of radiation?

Question:

Which has lower radiation leak levels? Which is farther from Fukushima? And which is more out of the movement path of the radiation? Answer one or all, but please choose Sapporo or Fukuoka regardless.

Answer:

Both are OK. They're both quite far. In general wind blows from east to west. Sapporo is north. Fukuoka is south.

The main ocean currents also help because there's one going down the coast from Hokkaido (where Sapporo is), north to south. So there isn't an ocean current bringing radiation from the south, where Fukushima is..

Also, another major current goes from south (where Fukuoka is) to north, not the other way around which could have potential for bringing radiation southward from Fukushima.

You're probably getting more radiation wherever you are right now than you would living in either of those places.

Anyway, if you're planning on taking a job, I'd go for Fukuoka just for the weather. I don't like cold winters. You also get to have "*** u" in the name of the place you are, which is always a good thing.

How long does a letter via Airmail from America take to reach Japan?

Question:

I've heard many answers..ranging from 4-6 days for certain services, to 30 days for other services...O_O

I sent a letter to my friend in Japan yesterday, and I'm just wondering how long it'll take to get to him.

Answer:

Taneka is basically clueless.

Airmail is 7-10 days. You've heard other time frames because there are other ways to send it. The last I heard, there is no more surface mail out of the U.S. They still have it in Japan. Takes 6-8 weeks for a package to go from Japan to the U.S.

But a letter? 7-10 days. Could be slightly quicker or slightly slower.

I dont know what i want to be when im older D=?

Question:

i am going to japan in 2O13' but, i dont know what i want to be.. im am currently in year 11. in australia,
im 1OO% aussie.. but yeh, i am getting sponsored to go there with the job i currently have *i work at a japanese restaurant* they only have a little over a year left with theyre restaurant license. so im guessing that im going back to japan with them. but yeh. my question.. lol help!

Answer:

They can't sponsor your working visa in Japan unless you have a college degree. So if you are in year 11, it's not possible.

What is your experiences with hosting a Japanese exchange student?

Question:

I'm wanting to go to Japan for a year but my parents would have to host a Japanese exchange student when I'm away. They said if they heard some other people's experiences that they might host a exchange student for me.

Answer:

My best friend has hosted exchange students from all over the world for the last 10 or so years. Japanese students are her favorites because they're the most conscientious, clean, and quiet.

What's it like in Japan?

Question:

Answer:

Japan is unique with a surprise around every corner.

What is Japan's current religion?

Question:

Answer:

I didn't know that a country could have a religion.

Japan wasn't founded on religion, and there are different people with different faiths.

Most people in Japan visit Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, but rarely do people go to services in the sense that some Christians go to church on Sunday.

A lot of people get a Christian wedding because they like the style.

It's only fundamentalists that have problems with this. There aren't many fundamentalists of any religion in Japan.

Maybe that's why it's such a peaceful country, and explains why so many people can live so close to each other.

What was Japan's old religion?

Question:

Answer:

Shinto and Buddhism have been 2 biggest religions in Japan for centuries.

Are there any English translations of the famous Japanese novel Kanikosen?

Question:

If so, where can I find one?

Answer:

Yes, there is.
Pls read the followings.
I've checked about the book at University of Tokyo Press web site and found out that the book is out of stock and there is no immediate plan of printing at the present.

Kanikōsen (蟹工船?) (published in English as The Crab Canning Ship, The Factory Ship or The Crab Ship) is a novel by Takiji Kobayashi, written in 1929. Written from a left-wing point of view, it concerns the crew of a crab fishing ship's hardships as they struggle under capitalist exploitation. The book has been made into a film and as manga. It is a short work, totalling around 80 pages in its English language translation.

Author(s) Kobayashi, Takiji
Book Type novel
Publication Date 1973
Publisher UNESCO - University of Tokyo Press
Number of Pages 185 p.
Original language Japanese
Published language(s) English
Translated by Frank Motofuji
Keywords Japan
Geography Keywords Asia & the Pacific

Need help on how to enter HAL tokyo college of technology and design?

Question:

i still attend high school and im learning Japanese and my life's dream was to always attend HAL in japan, im very interested in taking their game design coarse however i need some major advise on how to move their and what i require to become enrolled their ( what test to take ect...)

Answer:

1) Take the Ryuugaku Shiken or JLPT N1. One of these is usually required for entrance as a normal student in a Japanese University. The former will test you on Japanese as well as math, science, and composition skills (all at collegiate level Japanese). The latter is simply a Japanese ability test (highest level).
http://www.jasso.go.jp/eju/index.html
http://www.jlpt.jp/e/

2) Submit and application to HAL. The application is all in Japanese, as are the courses. The application fee is equivalent to $100. You cannot send a check, you will have to figure out a way to furi komi without a Japanese bank account. Here is the application for the AO Program:
http://www.hal.ac.jp/tokyo/enter/pdf/TH_…

3) Wait for an answer.

4) If you are accepted, you can then worry about getting a visa. There are several forms you will have to file, but it starts with a form from them showing that you will be enrolled. According to the consulate general's website, you can't get a visa from a non-accredited school. If this school is not a real college, like the cheap said, your dream ends here.

Below is the chart for tuition costs (under 学費納入). You will need to prove that you can pay for this in order to get a visa (which the school has to be willing to sponsor you for):
http://www.hal.ac.jp/tokyo/enter/daytime…

One option for scholarships is JASSO, which provides scholarships for students studying a variety of subjects in Japan:
http://www.jasso.go.jp/study_j/scholarsh…

Also, pay attention to the application periods in the HAL link above so that you can coordinate the scholarship with the time you want to start school.

Personally, I don't think this is going to happen. If they are not an accredited college, they cannot sponsor your visa and therefore you could not go. However, it should not require any thing besides money and Japanese proficiency, if it is possible. So, now I have given you everything you need to make your dream happen (except Japanese skills). Stop complaining about negativity. If you think you can do it, go do it.

I'm just curious - is the U.S-Japan alliance maintained more by mutual desire and consent or mutual necessity?

Question:

Answer:

I believe Japan-US alliance will last for at least another few decades because of "mutual necessity."

I want to emphasize the mutual defense alliance, which is crucially important for both countries.
By maintaining US Forces in Japan, the US can promptly dispatch their military, including USN 7th Fleet to all over Asia-Pacific region in times of contingency. We know they are also deployed to the Middle East which is outside the framework of Japan-US Defense Treaty. But, I am not going into this issue here.

Japan, on the other hand, has poor defense capability due to its Constitutional limitations (which was written by the US right after WWII when Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers). Japan needs USF presence in Japan whether we like it or not. Therefore, Japanese tax payers are paying enormous amount of money to assist US Forces in Japan every year.

So, this is a mutual alliance for mutual national interests.

How can i be a exchange student to japan?

Question:

i live in crestwood kentucky i take japanese online and im a senior and want to kno how to be a exchange student to japan? any ideas?

Answer:

Try YFU USA or Rotary. You can usually extend your senior year and go as a high school student.

www.yfu-usa.org/
www.rotary.org/youthexchange

Do you believe that East Asians dye their hair to be more Caucasian?

Question:

Answer:

My goodness. When you asked this question, did you not sense something offensive about it? Are you implying that East Asians aren't happy with being with being Asian, so they try their best to be Caucasian? Really? Do you really think that Caucasians have that much of a influence on Asians? To answer your question, no. They do it simply because they wish. Further more, why would you put this in Travel Japan?

I heard in Japan they don't tell people they have cancer. Is there anywhere else with the same belief?

Question:

Answer:

Actually, I was interpreting for a Japanese person in the U.S. and the doctor told her that certain cells might be pre-cancerous. I translated this directly and she was very shook up about it. She said, after the appointment, that in Japan a doctor would be more likely to run the tests first. Then if you have cancer, he would tell your family and then tell you if it was getting really bad. She said no doctor would come out and say, 'we need to test cause this could be cancer.' This leads me to believe that they would not tell you if you had cancer either. As for other countries like this, I don't know. Definitely not the U.S.

Is Canada's health care system superior to France, Switzerland, Germany, Japan?

Question:

Answer:

Yes OK. You don't have to rub it in every ones faces
. So Canada has the best health care in the world, big whoop, you make crappy beer. No wait forget that last comment.

When will guidlines and applications be up for 2013 Japanese MEXT scholarship?

Question:

As the title states. Month and day?

Answer:

2013? No, it's too early.

Addition:
2012 information is available now. So check this page between June-October 2012 or so and you can find it.
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryug…

Japanese Writing style?

Question:

When Japanese people write essays, poems, stories, writing prompts, comic books (manga), etc. , do they write vertical style or horizontal style?

Also, Japanese are the same as Chinese numbers (when written), correct?
Please answer both questions!

Answer:

For READING, vertical style is said to be easier, while horizontal style is more common in writing.

I've heard vertical style is better when you write to someone in formal situations. (incl. when writing an envelope) I think it's only Japanese classes that require students to write vertically in schools.

Japan working holiday visa 6 months 1 year extention question, did you have?

Question:

I am going to Japan 1 year on working holiday visa. I am coming from canada.
From canada ytour alloud to have a working holiday visa max of 1 year. but when you go they give you 6 months first alloud, then you have to apply to extend your visit for another 6 months.

PLEASE answer this if you have been in this situation before.

do i buy a return plane ticket for 6 months or 1 year. I am going to extend my visa for another 6 months once i get there, but i dont wanna cause problems with the authorities. because technically my visa will only be good for 6 months when i first get there.

I contacted them to ask and they didnt really assure me its ok. They said "you can buy a ticket for 6 months if you like or you can buy a ticket for 1 year if you like.

Answer:

Allowed, not alloud.

Sites where I can rent an apartment in Tokyo?

Question:

Does anybody know where I can find a website in english or spanish where I can rent an apartment/room in Tokyio??

Thanxs

Answer:

There are many websites like that.
http://www.jafnet.co.jp/index_en.html

If I say ''what kanji is feather'' would a Japanese instantly know the Kanji?

Question:

Or would they need to think for a moment? I'm trying to get in the head of a native kanji expert.

Answer:

Well it just depends on the word sometimes and meaning. Simple ones can be done easily. Others you might need to be more specific, and others might require thinking to remember.

If you said "East" 東 yeah most people will know that instantly.

If you said "big", well it depends on what kind of big you want. You can get the standard kanji for big, but did you mean "fat", or did you mean "thick"? It can get specific so you need to be specific.

Basic "everyday" kanji shouldn't be a major problem, but you said "anyword", well things can get more complicated even for English folks. Ask an English person to spell dermatofibrosarcoma_protuberans (a medical condition), then you're going to have some problems, same for Japanese.

How to say, I would like to open a checking account?

Question:

I do not speak any Japanese yet but need to open a bank account here. Please tell me how to say that as well as any other phrases that would help. Thanks.

Answer:

Many of major bank branches have at least some people who speak English because they are offering foreign exchange service. So it's better to find a branch like that rather than asking phrases here.

Addition:
@Real Answer
Most Japanese banks have checking account. It's 当座預金 in Japanese. But it's mainly used by corporations in Japan. 99% of individuals do not use it. I have never used it, either.

It's the same for check. 99% of individuals in Japan do not use checks. But it's not the same for corporation level.

This is a dictionary page of financial terms. And this page is talking about checking account. You can read the phrase "checking account" even if your browser does not support Japanese language (I don't know if your browser does.).
http://m-words.jp/w/E5BD93E5BAA7E9A090E9…

Basic Japanese help (check this roomaji)?

Question:

I am doing an assignment and I want to double check (especially some parts) that I have it all right before I memorize it. There may be a few spelling mistakes because I can't remember precisely the word but I have the english translation of what I want the sentence to be next to it. I apologize if it gets a bit repetitive, my fabricated trip to Japan is meant to be correct not interesting. I have highlighted the bits I have a strong suspicion is wrong. Basically you are looking for any grammar, wording or sentence structure fails as well as any obvious fails like the castle isn't even in Aomori etc (although you don't have to search that up, just if you happen to notice anything like that then please notify me). Thanks very much for your assistance, I will be rewarding 10 points within 24hs given a satesfactory result as my speech is tomorow or the day after.

Watashi wa San getsu juugo nichi ni Jaku to nihon ni ikimasu. I am going to japan on the 15th of March with Jack. Hikouki de burisuben kara tokyo ni ikimasu. Going from Brisbane to Tokyo by areroplane. Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji ni ikimasu. Going to sensoji temple. Juunananichi ni shinkansen de Sendai sonogo(*that is a word I am very unsure about as I searched it with google translate*) basu de Zao onsen ni ikimasu. On the 17th I am going to sendai by shinkansen *then* Zao onsen by bus. Shinkansen wa daisuki desu. I love shinkansen. Sukii ga suki desu. I like skiing. Sukii ga zenzen dekimasen. I never skii. Watashi wa nijuuninichi ni shinkansen to basu de Aomori ni ikimasu. On the 22nd I am going to Aomori by shinkansen and bus. Watashi wa aruite (I think this is the correct type of walking but please tell me if this is a constitutional rather than walking as a mode of transport) to densha de Hirosakijo desu. I am walking and catching the train to Hirosaki castle. nijuyonnichi ni Jaku to watashi to hikouki de Tokyo to Burisuben ni ikimasu. On the 24th Jack and I are traveling by plane to Tokyo and Brisbane.

Answer:

Tooo long. I was fatigued to read.
You should ... how to say in English?...divide into paragraphs, start with new line.

San getsu →　san gatsu
Jaku →　Jakku (or English proper nouns should be describe directly? I'm not sure about that.)
Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji → If you call it simply Senso-ji temple, former Kinryū-zan isn't needed.
Juunananichi → Juushichi nichi
; 10=juu 7=nana, shichi
17 can be said both juushichi and juunana. To explain this difference is not easy, though, we say 17th(date) juushichi nichi, 17th(order) juunana ban ,

Juushichi nichi ni shinkansen de Sendai ni, sono ato basu de Zao onsen ni ikimasu.
"Sono go" and "sono ato" is same.　I think sono go is more formal.

...Give up.

Vegetarian shops/ restaurants in Okinawa?

Question:

Are there any of these available?

Answer:

Not Japanese but i am guessing you will find some ethnic food shops like Indian and so on. Search the yellow pages or Google

Help me find beauty products in Japan?

Question:

I can't read any Japanese so I'm having trouble finding a couple things. I'm looking for a hair product that helps keep your hair straight when you flat iron it, a really good anti-frizz serum, and some kind of pore shrinking mask or something. Any recommendations would be great!

Answer:

Serum is used on skin, not on hair. I think you need to find shampoo or conditioner to make your straight.

hair straight shampoo
クセ毛直しのシャンプー
kusege naoshi no shampoo

>pore shrinking mask
毛穴引き締めパック
keana hikishime pakku

Just use those phrases on Google or at a drugstore.

How much will getting my shoulder checked out in Japan cost?

Question:

I recently was involved in a bike accident (My shoe came off and consequently my foot came off the petal, which lead to me hitting a pole.) And I've been having some problems with my shoulder. I'm enrolled in the national health insurance, so about how much would it cost just to get it looked at to make sure it's okay?

Answer:

I think they will have X-ray for that. But I don't think it will cost you more than 10,000 yen at most if your bone is not broken and if you have NHI. It's 3000-5000 yen or so usually.

Moving to japan as a photographer at 18?

Question:

i am 18 and i am extremely interested in living and working in japan as a photographer, hopefully in the media (fashion hopefully)
i am going to start a language course very soon, and i know a bit about the culture.
how do i go about obtaining things like landing permission and visa's?
i've also read its hard for foreigners to get a place, and are often put in a "gajin-house", which from what i have read, are like the slums. i am also worried about a bit of racism.

i'm not very interested in teaching english, as i hear teaching jobs are very stressful and some students can be difficult.
i really like the idea of a big busy city, which would be more ideal if i were to become a photographer for the media, (maybe not tokyo, but somewhere near, or with as many oppertunities)
but i also really like the idea of living more out in the country, near traditional japanese aspects (such as hot springs, temples, or just farms)

is it true i need a high qualification or 10 years experience in a specific industry to be able to work and live there?

also, roughly how much i would need to start myself off for the 1st year if anyone knows

Answer:

You won't get a visa as a photographer - there are plenty of Japanese to do this kind of work. The fact you are not fluent in Japanese means you would not be able to work in this field anyway.
Harsh but true.